Match-machine.



No. 672,429. Patenfd Apr.' I6, |901.

G. EvEnsoN.

MATCH MACHINE.

(Application filed June B, 1899.`

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No. 672,429. Patented Apr. I6, |9Ul.

G. EvEBsoN.

MATCH MACHINE.

kpplicauon faxed .nine s, 1599 (No Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

y wm N UNITED STATns ANDERSON, OF SAME PLACE.

MATCH-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming' part 0f Letters Patent No. 672,429, dated April 16, 1 901.

Application letl J'nue 8,1899. Serial No. 719,773. (No model..

To all whom, t 1v1/ty concern:

Be it known that LGEORGE EvERsoN, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Detroit, in the county of l/Vayne and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Im provenients in Unloading-Machines for Matches, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to that class of machines for unloading matches in which dipping-frames are employed, and has for its object to produce a machine that will take the matches from the dipping-frame and deliver them to where they are packed into boxes without the intervention of hand labor, thereby greatly increasing the capacity of a plant with little outlay and doing away with the great son rce of danger of igniting the matches from incautious handling.

The invention consists in the peculiar construction of a hopper having a reciprocating bottom and operating means therefor, whereby the' matches are arranged in parallelism and delivered onto the carrier-belt.

The invention further consists in the peculiar construction, arrangement, and operation of the various parts, all as more fully hereinafter described, and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a side elevation of the machine, showing the hopper in section. Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof, and Fig. 3 is a perspective View showing the construction of the reciprocating hopper-bottom.

A is the frame of the machine, and B is the top, upon which my improved unloading-machine is supported.

C is a bearing-block secured on one end of the top and upon which is mounted in suitable bearings the drive-shaft D, provided on one end with the loose and tight pulleys a b and the gear-wheel c, while on the other end is mounted the pulley d, carrying a belt CZ', which transmits motion to the pulley d2, mounted on the end ot' the transverse shaft E and having a Vroller c mounted on its middle portion, over which the carrier-belt F passes.

Parallel with the shaft E and mounted in suitable bearings is a shaft G, over which the belt F passes and carries the matches to the transverse belt.

fisa bevel-gear mounted on the end ofthe shaft E, and g is a l'ievel-gear meshing therewith mounted on the longitudinal shaft I-I, secured in bearings on an extension of the top.

I is a pulley mounted on said shaft II, over which the transverse endless carrier-belt 7L passes, and J is a pulley mounted in adjustable bearings on the opposite side ot' the top, over which the carrier-belt passes and delivers the matches onto a rotary table K, a suitable metal spout t' being pivotally supported on said bearings, so that'the matches will be delivered in a continuous row upon the table on which they are packed by the packers seated around the table.

h is a fence parallel with the edge of the belt 71, and against which the matches are adapted to strike in being dropped from the belt F.

L is avertical wall some distance backfrom the edge of the table, forming a circular pocket in which the boxes to be iilled may be placed, so that they will be within reach of the packers, and L' is a stationary rim of said table on which the packers operate. I may accomplish the same purpose by making the carrier-belt h longer and have the packers take the matches directly from the belt h.

M is a hopper supported by means of the brackets M. It is provided with a number of inclined transverse partition-walls j, far enough apart to receive a match lengthwise, and k represents a number of intersecting vertical longitudinal partitions.

N is a feed-table which forms a reciprocating bottom for the hopper and slides in inclined guide-bearings formed thereon. It has upon its face a number of longitudinal grooves or corrugations o, in which the matches are adapted to travel, said grooves corresponding to the spaces between the vertical partitions 7c. This hopper-bottom Nprojects forward of the hopper till it comes nearly in contact with the carrier-belt F, upon which it delivers the matches which are sliding down in the grooves of the'bottom.

D is a shaft supported in brackets on the IOO bearing-block C and having a pinion c at. its end meshing with the gear-Wheel c on the drive-shaft.

O O are eccentrics mounted on the shaft D' and connecting With the transverse bar P, secured in the ears Z, formed on the hopper-bottom N, wherebyin the operation of the parts a reciprocating motion is imparted to the hopper-bottom, which causes the matches to be fed down the grooves formed in the face of said bottom onto the carrier-belt F. I may and preferably do accomplish this by the use of but one eccentric connected to the middle of the hopper-bottom.

Q represents a dipping-frame placed upon the hopper, and fm m are clamping-fingers mounted upon an extension of the hopper and connected by the link n, so that when the frame is placed upon .the hopper a slight pressure upon the handle portion of the lever m will clamp the dipping-frame and enable the operator to remove the pins holding the frame together, so that the matches drop into the compartments of the hopper and by the inclined Walls thereof are piled up flat upon the feed-table. The constant reciprocating motion of this table brings them into longitudinal alinement and feeds them by gravity down the inclined grooves in transverse rows to the belt F, Which deposits one row after another to the transverse belt h, so that they form a continuous string of matches and are thus delivered in perfect alinement onto the rotary table K, which by moving faster or slower may pile them up more or less high as best suited for packing, the packers taking the matches up by the handful and placing them in the boxes.

It will be noticed that the carrier-belt F has a slight upward incline, so as to check the matches as they arrive at the lower end of the hopper-bottom,and thereby bring them into alinement, and having the belt pass over the small shaft G the matches are brought as close to the transverse carrier-belt h as possible, and it beingr above the transverse belt the acquired momentum of the matches will cause themto strike against the fence and then drop upon the transverse belt in perfect alinement.

I do not limit myself to the use of the carrier-belt 7L, as shown, but include into myinvention any endless carrier traveling at substantially right angles to the belt F as, for example, I may dispense with the use of the transverse carrier-belt h altogether and feed the matches directly from the belt F onto a rotary table of large diameter, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, similar to table K, in which h is the Vertical wall against which the matches are adapted to strike.

I claim- In a machine for the purpose described, the combination of the stationary feed-hopper, the inclined reciprocating gravity-feed table having longitudinal grooves arranged to receive the matches from said hopper, a carrier-belt traveling in line with said feed-table at a slight upward incline thereto and forming with the same a continuous pathway for the matches, a second carrier-belt traveling at right angles to the first-named carrierbelt and adapted to receive the matches therefrom, 'the fixed spout i hinged at the end of said last carrier and adapted to receive the matches therefrom, and the revolving ringtable K upon which the free end of the spout is adapted to travel and deliver the matches thereon radially to the ring.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE EVERSON.

Vitnesses: I

OTTO F. BARTHEL, V. D. KINNER. 

